Who’s Up For Some Old Man Ball?
We stumbled across this blurb today and hadn’t seen it anywhere else. Ken Mink is a sweet-shooting guard from Tennessee who hopes to see a few minutes a game this season for his new school, Roane State (TN) Community College. He transferred in from Lees (KY) Junior College, but his route between the two schools was more than a little unorthodox. You see, Mink, a self-described adventurer and athlete, last played college ball when it was whiter than snow in 1956, and he is now 73 years old. From the Knoxville News-Sentinel:
Ken Mink was shooting baskets in his driveway about this time last year when he had a sports epiphany. “I had been knocking down shot after shot, so when I came in the house I told my wife, ‘I’ve still got it,’ ” said Mink, a 73-year-old semi-retired journalist. “She said, ‘You’ve got what?’ I said, ‘I can still play.’ “ Roane State coach Randy Nesbit took Mink up on his offer. “I’m not very good at saying no,” said Nesbit, who just turned 50. “It’s a gesture of good will to help a fine man find closure. Why not?”
(photo credit: Saul Young)
Hey, we just think that’s great. We’re sure that the Raider players will love the daily routine of ridiculous touch fouls, razor-sharp elbows, 60-lb metal knee braces and standstill corner jumpers, but the important thing is that everyone gets to live their dream, right?
Seriously though, if we’re puttering around half as well as this old codger at his age, we’d be thrilled. Although from the looks of it in the video here, Mink needs to step it up on D…
[...] Still shooting at 73 [Knoxville News-Sentinel] • Who’s Up For Some Old Man Ball? [Rush The [...]
[...] For real, though. Billy Packer can ball too.One of the things I learned in college is just how talented college basketball players are. When I would play on campus, I’d play against some pretty good players. Guys who played varsity high school, that sort of thing. They were slightly better than me in most cases. And then the least talented walk-on at my school would come in the gym and destroy the very best among us. They’re good. Trust me.So it is with the utmost confidence that I tell you this: Ken Mink, the 73-year-old (!) Roane State player, could probably school you: "I had been knocking down shot after shot, so when I came in the house I told my wife, ‘I’ve still got it,’ " said Mink, a 73-year-old semi-retired journalist. "She said, ‘You’ve got what?’ I said, ‘I can still play.’ "Roane State coach Randy Nesbit took Mink up on his offer."I’m not very good at saying no," said Nesbit, who just turned 50. "It’s a gesture of good will to help a fine man find closure. Why not?”Check here for the video verdict. Oh, sure … Mink looks like he’s not playing any defense, but that’s just a ruse. He’ll lull you to sleep, and then steal the ball and dunk on you before you have a chance to realize what happened. That’s just how Mink rolls, son. (Gracias, Rush the Court.) [...]
I think I’ve seen it all now.
That’s crazy.
and congrats on getting Boobs and More’s approval, that’s a resume booster
Ya like that? I thought it was an impressive linkage…
[...] the year took place at tiny Roane St. (TN) Community College, where septuagenarian shooting guard Ken Mink proved that you’re never too old to properly execute a head-fake to get the opening and draw [...]